He's the other Johnson, the one Hurricanes fans likely don't know much about.

Yes, sophomore receiver Aldarius Johnson made the stunning 29-yard catch on fourth down that enabled UM to continue driving toward the winning touchdown against Wake Forest. But it was senior tight end Tervaris Johnson whom coaches named Offensive Player of the Game.

That Johnson, a Miami Pace graduate, not only caught the 2-yard touchdown pass after Wake fumbled a punt return in the fourth quarter, his block helped set up Damien Berry's touchdown run earlier in the game. UM coach Randy Shannon said Johnson also made the key block that prevented Jacory Harris from being sacked on the fourth-down pass to Aldarius Johnson.

Three plays worth 21 points, Shannon said, and recognition for the tight end who has rarely gotten it before. As No. 16 Miami (6-2, 3-2 Atlantic Coast Conference) prepares for Saturday's noon home game against Virginia (3-5, 2-2), Johnson has embraced a role that gets no glory.

``I have no problem with that,'' Johnson said. ``Any way I can help this team is satisfying to me. I can run fast and catch the ball, but I don't mind blocking or being the guy who does the dirty work. My coach says I do a lot of stuff unseen as far as the running game or blocking game.

``But I don't care who gets their name in the paper. As long as we go out with a `W,' I feel good about myself.''

Shannon said Johnson ``really made the [Aldarius Johnson] play work. If he doesn't hit the corner, it's a sack and the game is over. That was big by Tervaris -- giving Jacory an opportunity to make those big plays.''

Johnson came out of Pace in 2006 as a highly recruited safety, though he also played tight end. He was rated the No. 4 safety in the country and No. 6 overall player in Florida by Rivals.com. He was switched to tight end before last season. But until recently, his career was almost exclusively confined to special teams.

Johnson was 6-2 and 215 pounds when he ran track at Pace and was timed at 4.46 for the 40-yard dash in football. Former UM defensive-backs coach Tim Walton nicknamed Johnson ``Big Dog'' during UM's 2005 summer camp, where Johnson experimented at cornerback and was named defensive MVP. Coaches switched him to cornerback when he arrived on campus his freshman year in 2006.

He has since grown to 6-3 and 248 pounds and has fully recovered after shoulder surgery last spring. He started four games this season, and has three catches -- one for 14 yards against Georgia Tech, another for 10 yards against Oklahoma and Saturday's touchdown that made it 27-21 with 11:47 remaining.

It was the first touchdown of his career.

``I looked at the clock to see how much time was left,'' Johnson, 21, said. ``I couldn't really embrace it because we were still losing. . . . That touchdown wouldn't have meant anything to me if we would have lost.''

Johnson couldn't explain why UM faltered most of the game. ``It was one of those games that wouldn't go right,'' he said. ``It felt like quicksand. We know we're better than that. But losing wasn't an option after that heartbreaking loss to Clemson.''

Johnson, who wears No. 23, is actually one of four UM players with that last name. Freshman offensive lineman Jermaine Johnson hasn't played yet. Sophomore receiver Davon Johnson is being redshirted.

Tervaris said he expects to finish his degree this spring in liberal arts and criminal justice, something his mother and father also will celebrate. His father, Jesse, is a construction worker and plumber. He said his mother, Sharon, is a bus aide for Miami-Dade Schools.

Johnson said his teammates have narrowed their focus on a Virginia team that runs a 3-4 defense ``and has big, stocky guys.'' The Cavaliers are 34th nationally in total defense and 19th in pass defense.

``We're not necessarily concerned about how they're going to play us,'' Johnson said.

``. . . This last game made us grow up a lot as a team. Honestly, we needed that. Real champions respond. Anybody can be on top, but it's how you respond when you're knocked down. A win is a win whether it's by one point or 50 points.''

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